Games industry expectations for 2013

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So what are gamers in the industry looking forward to this year? We reached out to some of Australia's most prominent writers, editors, organisers and pundits to see what was on their wish list for 2013.

I am certainly excited about Grand Theft Auto V... I love the direction Rockstar have been taking the series for the last couple of games so I'm keen to see where they are taking it next. Rockstar are also some of my favourite open-world builders out there - they don't create playgrounds, they create breathing places.

Apart from that, I'm sure Bioshock: Infinite will be interesting, if it ever comes out. And if Watch Dogs can achieve what it promised in the one trailer I've seen of it, that'll be something to watch, too. And Jonathan Blow's The Witness. And Alexander Bruce's Antichamber! I guess there are a few games I'm excited about after all.

I'm most looking forward to Watch Dogs from Ubisoft, I think Ubisoft have really shown their mettle with both Assassin's Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 and they're clearly sitting on some serious tech. Plus, it's an original IP! - from Ubisoft, of all people! In terms of technology I'm also very keen to see how the Oculus Rift pans out, as I think it could be massive.

This might be the last year we ever get really excited about the same kind of things that have driven the last few generations - big new hardware reveals and triple-A releases. It's not just the increasing ubiquity of powerful, portable multifunction devices; if the social gaming bubble left the industry nothing else, it showed that platform-agnostic and cross-platform multiplayer gaming really works. It's a really good time to be watching indie and mid-core development - Spicy Horse's Akaniero is a good example of what I mean, as it allows you to play with anybody, whether you and they choose to use an installed client, browser or mobile device.

I think in 2012 we saw enough examples of thoughtful stirring responses to some of the least desirable excesses of games marketing that we've reached a tipping point. I expect this year - and every year to come - to increase the pool of well-informed, critically-thinking gamers who reject sexism and embrace diversity. Gradually, those voices will overpower the vocal ignoramus, and publishers and developers will change how they speak to their audiences.

But what I would like to see is more companies, especially Australian companies taking competitive gaming seriously by supporting and sponsoring as many events as they can. With support, we would see more international players making the trip to Australia to compete. Not only will this give our players some top level practice, but also put their name on the map if they can defeat these top players traveling here to take our prizes.

2013 might not be the year we go toe to toe with international gaming organizations, but I hope with a little hard work from all the different organizations, Australia will one day be one of the competitive gaming capitals of the world.

2012 was the year that both gamers and their industry grew - both philosophically and creatively. The continued rise of online retailers like Steam and the opportunities of an open market have pushed publishers to develop titles that were not only properly optimized for PC gaming rigs, but at affordable prices through digital downloads. The battle for government recognition of adult gaming resulted in a victory for both gamers and parents, with an R18+ rating coming into force on the 1st of January. We, as an industry and a culture, looked internally at our faults, specifically the entrenched sexist and homophobic discrimination that had existed for many years, and sought swift change to remove it.

I hope for more of the same growth, especially across the collaborative capabilities of the internet. The crowd sourcing of funds, ideas and code that exploded onto the scene thanks to Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are only going to become more prevalent, as developers seek input from the community in order to develop the games they want, instead of games that appeal to the mainstream. Harnessing the creative veins of a global community will only help to fan more original ideas, democratizing the process and allowing gamers to play and contribute to the titles they, not a publishing conglomerate, deem worthwhile.

There's a piece of tech coming this year that has the potential to be the biggest evolutionary leap in gaming since the creation of the 3D graphics accelerator. The Oculus Rift head-mounted display has received critical acclaim from some of the world's biggest software developers, including John Carmack and Gabe Newell. When guys like this stand behind a product, there's good reason to take notice.

Virtual Reality has been the holy grail of gaming immersion for 20 years, but it's taken this long for the tech to catch up to the promise. To think that the developer's preview version of the Rift is only US$300 is even more amazing. If the follow-up consumer product works as advertised (due in late 2013/early 2014) expect gaming to make the jump to full VR within five years. Why would you continue to experience the magical 3D worlds of today's best games through a 2D window when you can finally be inside the world, no matter which direction you look? I can't wait.

Locally we have a lot to look forward to with PAX heading to Melbourne and ACL running their circuit once again which will likely see stop offs in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Blizzard are rumoured to be holding another WCS or Blizzcon type event in 2013 which will see some of our top Starcraft II Players try and qualify and IEM has announced they too would like to visit Australia in the near future. Even little New Zealand has been growing their own eSports communities with BarcraftNZ devoted to helping boost the profiles of New Zealand gamers.

Offshore we have the usual tournaments to look forward to, DreamHack, MLG, IEM, IPL and GSL as well as many other massive events which draw thousands of viewers both at the venue and online on their streams. The continued growth and new games and expansions will see millions more dollars injected into the new age sporting arenas with sponsors and consumers desperate to be part of the pro-gaming phenomenon.

With viewers constantly demanding better quality stream experiences and higher level of play those in the industry will spend thousands of hours trying to produce the best product possible for those hungry for eSports and like millions of other gaming fans I will be at home revelling in madness, cheering, crying and drinking in the wins and losses of my favourite players.

There are already many games I'm looking forward to, such as Bioshock Infinite, but I'm also excited about being surprised. Many of my favourite games of 2012 are titles I didn't see coming, and it's thrilling to think that something could change the face of gaming and we have yet to hear of it. Did anyone see Minecraft coming?

That being said, I love years where new hardware is either announced or released, and I think 2013's E3 is going to be huge. We're going to see new systems from Sony and Microsoft, and hopefully a raft of new and interesting games to go along with them. I always look out for change and innovation, and I hope to see much of both in the next 12 months.

Throughout the past 15 years, professional gaming has had a continuous cycle of progress and decline, with periods of highs and lows throughout that time. Now over the past few years we've seen several huge positive advancements in the industry that have changed the entire landscape of things.

In 2013, the MOBA/DOTA genre will continue to explode and cement its reign as the number 1 competitive genre in the world. CS:GO, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Shootmania and Halo 4 will help bring competitive FPS back to the limelight. Competing leagues will start to work together more with the respective game developers to create a more-cohesive schedule of tournaments that doesn't have events overlapping on each other. [It will] ease stress for players and create a simpler storyline for fans to follow. Lastly, after being a competitive gamer myself and being involved in this for nearly half my life, it's the first time I can say that I don't expect any decline anytime soon.

PAX and EB Expo are huge events that I'm looking forward to having in Australia, particularly since they're still rather new.

I am also looking forward to annual eSports events [that] are coming up such as Shadowloo, OHN [OzHadou Nationals] and more. Whilst there haven't been any official announcements made for more events, I'm confident that there will be. eSports has shown a lot of growth in 2012 and I am confident this trend will continue on into 2013. Lastly, I am looking forward to the public release of [free-to-play] Valve game Dota 2.

We have some of the most highly-anticipated games of this generation coming out all in Q1. Steam is forever releasing tidbits that a new PC-style console will be arriving, the next-gen Playstation and Xbox are almost guaranteed to be shown at this year's E3. Kickstarter and Indiegogo have all but transformed the current development scene, and Nvidia has decided that the handheld market is poised for yet another piece of hardware.

We're looking at an industry that is just coming into pubescence, still figuring out exactly what it is and where it can grow. 2013 is very much the year that the defining factors for the next decade of gaming will be made. Will Apple finally go into the market? Who will acquire THQ's properties? How long does Sony actually have left? Every part of the industry is in a complex state of flux, and there's never been a better time to be a part of it.

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This site is where you will find ABC stories, interviews and videos on the subject of Technology and Games. As you browse through the site, the links you follow will take you to stories as they appeared in their original context, whether from ABC News, a TV program or a radio interview. Please enjoy.